Why do most Black people call themselves African American?

Question

I know many , many black Americans, None of whom have ever set one foot on Africa. I doesn't hear Mexicans calling themselves Mexican Americans, nor do I her White People calling themselves White - Americans. Latino-Americans, Jewish Americans, Christian Americans, Athiest Americans exc are all non existant in the media and mainstream America. I do know atleast three people from Africa, tht actualy were born and lived there. None of which Identify with the label of African-American. I just call myself an American. no lable. what's with this ____ - American crap?

Answer 1

I don't believe that most do to be honest.....

According to Wikipedia the term "African-American" was made really popular by Jesse Jackson in the 80's. It also says that "many blacks in America expressed a preference for the term as it was formed in the same way as the names for other ethnic groups" and because many black people could not trace their heritage and didn't know what country in Africa they originated from, they used African as part of the term because "the entire continent serves as a geographic marker."

Answer 2

3 Places in the world where black people originate from.
Australia -Aborigines
Southern India - Dravidian's
Africa- A mixed bag of races all with dark skin.

Nearly 100% of Black Americans are of African descent.
So what does the term African American denote.

White Americans used to call Black Americans ****** or the derisory term ***-gers, the polite term was colored folk. Black Americans tired of been defined by White Americans decided to call themselves Black people ( this was back in the black Panther/ Sole dad Brothers/ Malcolm X era).
That satisfied the need for an Identity.

Then some ideological liberal PC convoluted thinking took place and the liberals decided that a designation Black Americans took for themselves was some how racist, and African American would be a better descriptive term, but for some strange reason they didn't decide to reclassify White Americans as European Americans, this was backhanded racism of the highest order, and no one noticed, those who objected were soon silenced.

Why they did this, I don't Know. Because to me If a man is black and chooses to call himself such, how can that be racist, any more than if a man is white and chooses to call himself white.

What is has done is change perceptions, a black American is seen as an American who happens to be black, but he is seen as100% American.
An African American, is seen as an African (no matter how many generations removed) who happens to live in America. So he is not seen as 100% American.
So the Identity Black Americans chose for to themselves to identify as part of this great nation, was ripped away by one liberal coup.
And the Blacks thought it was done because the liberals wanted to help them
At least the conservitives stab you in the front and not the back.

Answer 3

First off, it's far from "most." That is a label that someone decided was PC. Most of the black people I know (includng myself and my family) call themselves "black." Secondly, if ypu are going to try to mal\ke a point, make some sense. Jewish, Christian, Athiest...these are religions. You've NEVER heard any add "American" to a religion. There most certainly people that refer to themselves by their place of origin. You've never heard people call themselves "Italian-American" or even just Italian. Ditto for Mexicans, Irish, Greeks... (Latinos, FYI, are not white). Those are two examples of peoples that wear ethnic pride proudly, aside from blacks. Ask yourself why it really bothers you? And yes, many of those Italians have never set foot in Italy, nor do they speak Italian. What's the difference?

Answer 4

Doesn't make sense to me either.

The first true African American I ever met was born of parents from India, both of whom had emigrated to Uganda. When Idi Amin expelled all foreigners after taking control, they left for America with their son, who later became a naturalized citizen.

So my friend Mitool, 100% Indian, but born in Uganda and a US citizen, is more of an African American than many others who go by that label!

Answer 5

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.
This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance.
But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else.
The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic.
The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American.


_-Teddy Roosevelt.



This is a long-standing problem.

Answer 6

Try not to generalize. I didnt know we "called" ourselves that. From what I know, that term was applied to us to be politically correct. I dont remember anyone standing on a line to fill out an application for us to be called African-Americans. I personally call myself black or American.

Answer 7

Personally I like being called black. I have never corrected anyone and said call me African American. I think people use the term to be politically correct.

Answer 8

I'v never refered to myself as african american. Im not offened by it, that's jus me though. Being from Tx everybody says "Black" most of the time, but just American would be cool.

Answer 9

well to be honest they didn't come up with it. it all came about when clinton was in office and the lib's came up P.C.
( politically correctness) which somehow the though midgets would love " little people " or " vertically challenged" or that ever " popular" - american which if you ask a black person they still prefer black just listen to them when they refer to people of their own race they say " black " not " african -american " thanks clinton !! and i'm sorry but to those who'll bash me for my comment solely based on politics or idealogy instead of facts ......... again sorry but the truth is the truth look inside yourself and ask yourself is this guy bieng untruthful or whether i like it or not did he just say something truthful.

Answer 10

They don't not even 90% call theirself African American. Many "blacks" don't identify theirself with American. That because your nationality tell who you are, cultrue groups and belief. At no point in time has America ever represent us. Over 90% of our history they oppress, degraded and Kill them.